Haze in Singapore: Air quality improves with 3 of 5 regions recording moderate PSI levels

However, PM2.5 levels were in elevated in 4 of the 5 regions. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Straits TimesAnn Neo2026-10-20 06:25查看原文 ↗

NEA forecasts moderate to unhealthy air quality for Oct 20, with PSI levels expected to range from 90 to 160.

ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Published Oct 20, 2026, 06:25 AM

Updated Oct 20, 2026, 06:25 AM

SINGAPORE – The air quality in Singapore improved early on Oct 20, with much of the island awaking to only moderate levels of air pollution.

At 6am, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index readings were 89 in the north, 95 in the south and 99 in the east – in the normal range – while the readings for the west and central regions recorded unhealthy levels at 124 and 114 respectively.

Air quality is considered moderate when the PSI – a 24-hour rolling average of six key air pollutants – is in the range of 51 to 100, and unhealthy when it is in the range of 101 to 200. Beyond 200, it enters the very unhealthy band.

The haze situation in Singapore has improved since Oct 19, where three out of the five regions recorded moderate levels of air quality since 10am that day until now .

It marks a relative easing compared to conditions last week, when PSI readings remained in the unhealthy or very unhealthy bands on most days.

Meanwhile, hourly PM2.5 levels fluctuated between the normal and elevated bands.

At 6am, the PM2.5 readings were in the normal range in the north (52), while those in the south (58), east (69), west (102) and central (65) were elevated.

On Oct 19, islandwide PM2.5 readings were normal from noon to 2pm – the first time since Oct 4 – before spiking into the elevated band in some regions later in the afternoon.

The hourly PM2.5 readings are measured in micrograms per cubic metre and are a gauge of the current air quality.

Scores from zero to 55 represent normal values, those between 56 and 150 indicate an elevated concentration of fine particles, while readings between 151 and 250 are considered high and scores above 251 are classified as very high.

Moderate to unhealthy air quality on Oct 20

The National Environment Agency (NEA) had forecast moderate to unhealthy air quality for Oct 20, with PSI levels expected to range from 90 to 160.

The agency said shifting winds, which blew from the south-south-east, and nearby rainfall helped to clear the air on Oct 19.

Nonetheless, smoke haze from Kalimantan and Sumatra in Indonesia was still observed near Singapore.

Showers are expected over Singapore and the surrounding region on Oct 20, NEA said, adding that south-south-easterly winds may reduce smoke haze blowing from Kalimantan to Singapore.

However, some smoke haze from Sumatra may drift towards Singapore, it said.

Air quality may deteriorate in the coming days.

From the night of Oct 19 to Oct 22, the winds are likely to turn east-south-easterly, with dry conditions forecast over the surrounding region, including parts of Kalimantan, said NEA.

This may bring smoke haze from fires in Kalimantan towards Singapore. The Republic is currently experiencing its 16th day of unhealthy air – surpassing the 14-day stretch during the 2015 haze crisis, during which bad air persisted for from Sept 23 to Oct 7.

National Environment Agency

新加坡国家环境局预测，10 月 20 日空气质量为中度至不健康，PSI 值预计在 90 至 160 之间。

《海峡时报》摄影：KELVIN CHNG

发布于 2026 年 10 月 20 日上午 6:25

更新于2026年10月20日上午6:25

新加坡——10月20日清晨，新加坡的空气质量有所改善，岛上大部分地区醒来时空气污染程度仅为中等水平。

早上 6 点，北部 24 小时污染物标准指数读数为 89，南部为 95，东部为 99——均在正常范围内——而西部和中部地区的读数分别为 124 和 114，均处于不健康水平。

当 PSI（六种主要空气污染物的 24 小时滚动平均值）在 51 到 100 之间时，空气质量被认为是中等的；当 PSI 在 101 到 200 之间时，空气质量被认为是不健康的；超过 200，则进入非常不健康的范围。

自 10 月 19 日以来，新加坡的雾霾情况有所改善，从当天上午 10 点到现在，五个地区中有三个地区的空气质量达到中等水平。

与上周的情况相比，这标志着情况有所缓解，上周大部分时间 PSI 读数都处于不健康或非常不健康的水平。

与此同时，PM2.5 的小时浓度在正常范围和偏高范围之间波动。

早上 6 点，北部地区的 PM2.5 读数处于正常范围（52），而南部（58）、东部（69）、西部（102）和中部（65）地区的读数则偏高。